BNI Foundation Donates $6800 from its BNI Cares Bushfire Grant to support Kangaroo Island School in South Australia
The 2020 bushfires devastated the local community in Kangaroo Island. BNI Foundation Australia reached out to the Kangaroo Island Community Education (KICE) to find out how they could help.
KICE operates over three school campuses. It’s 80 kilometers between the furthest two campuses and educates 675 students. The campus in the middle of the island, Parndana Campus, was threatened by fire on several occasions. Parndana Campus is a site of 159 students and a key feature of the campus as students’ transition from Playgroup to Preschool and then to Reception and their formal years of Schooling. The start of the school year (January 2020), was difficult as many of the children had to be bused from far distances and could not attend their usual school.
The KICE was focusing on well-being of the students. Stress levels were high the community as families are trying to rebuild homes and businesses. The school was experiencing behaviour issues as the stress takes its toll on the children. The school has started to develop a project to rebuild their outdoor space and indoor learning spaces to give children places to unwind and destress during the school day.
BNI’s offer to help was met with enthusiasm as they want to get this project off the ground ASAP.
BNI Foundation Australia made a $6,800 donation to the Kangaroo Island Community Education. This donation will have a far reaching impact to those children affected directly by the fires and to those other children whom are living their friends’ traumas vicariously.